Electric space heater



June 6, 1950 w. w. wrrrlE ELECTRIC SPACE HEATER Filed Aug. 15, 1949 Patented June 6, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC SPACE HEATER, William w. Wittie, Chicago, 111. Application August 15, 1949', Serial No. 110,306

3 Claims. (01. 219-39) The present invention relates to portable electric space heaters, and more particularly to portable electric space heaters of the type using both radiation and convection to distribute the heat.

In the case of portable electric space heaters of the radiation type, there has been encountered the hazard of fire starting when inflammable material is placed close to such heaters. Not infrequently articles are hung up to dry before a radiant type of heater. The concentrated beam of heat energy may cause the articles to burst into flame when they have been dried because they were placed too close to the heater. Oftentimes space heaters of this type may also be placed too close to draperies and upholstered furniture so as to constitute a hazard.

Accordingly, it has been found preferable to employ an air circulating means in conjunction with portable space heaters to reduce the hazard encountered by other types of heaters and to provide a better distribution of heat. The mere provision of an air circulating means or fan for an electric heater, however, may be found to be rather inefficient from the standpoint of current consumption, because not infrequently the fan is so located or positioned as to merely create a turbulence of air within the heater housing.

Therefore, inaccordance with the present invention, it is proposed to provide an improved construction for electric space heaters of the combination radiation and convection type which will consume a minimum of current for the circulation of heated air. By means of a particular construction set forth in detail in this application, it is possible to provide an efficient heater, irrespective of the ornamental appearance of the outer casing of the heater.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved circulating air heater of the electric type.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved electric space heater which obviates the danger of concentrated heat liable to cause overheating and fires.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved electric space heater of the circulating air type where an efficient fan of minimum size can ,be employed for economy in construction and operation.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved electric space heater construction which will produce more eflicient operation irrespective of the external design or appearance of the heater.

- Other and further objects of the present invention subsequently will become apparent by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing 5; wherein:

Figure 1 is a front view of the essential elements of an electric space heater embodying the principles of the present invention;

" Figure 2 is a fragmentary detail view showing the construction of certain elements of the guide vanes of the heater shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is afragmentary detail view showing the construction of certain other elements of the guide vanes of the heater of Figure 1;

*Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail view showing the central construction of the guide vanes;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the device shown in Figure 1; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view, of the center of a guide vane embodying certain variations of construction as compared to that illustrated in Figure 1.

' Referring to the drawing it will be noted that the essential elements of an electric space heater are supported by a relatively horizontal cylinder H which may be provided with suitable support brackets or feet l2. Extending up from the rear of the cylinder II are a pairof brackets [3.

provided for insulated studs 2| which carry binding posts 22.. The inner extremity of the binding posts 22 serve to support the extremities of the electric heating element I8. The lower extremities of the binding posts 22 receive the conductors for the electric motor l4 and the conductors which lead to an electric switch and the cord which is arranged to be plugged into a suitable electric outlet.

--For economy in construction and for providing Y the maximum energy transfer from the heating element, it has been found preferable to provide an open coil heating element 18 which at suitable intervals engages notches 23 in the insulating support ll. Thus the heating element It! is arranged in a generally polygonal form or in a generally circular manner along the peripherg of a co-axial circle of smaller diameter than the diameter of the drum II.

By placing the tan I5 within the cylinder or drum ll thereis obviated to a considerable extent the probability that the fan would waste considerable energy by merely creating a turbulence of air within the outer'casing of the electric space heater. In order to ,further assure maximum efliciency of the fan l5, there is provided adiacenti the. i fg'ont edge; or; fll ej'igldiiimi cylinder I 1 a-guide vane-' structure which divides:-

the axial area of the drum H into at least eight equal segments. It has been found that a smaller number of segments will not produceasgreataaa v 1.0 catediat the back end ofi said 4 construction and in the arrangement of the components is contemplated as may be commensurate with the spirit and scope of the invention set forth in the accompanying claims.

What I desire to protect by U. S. Letters Patent is claimed as follows:

1. A portable electric space heater comprising a short horizontal metal cylinder provided with a supporting stand, an axially mountedian loy mae'aya plurality ofspaced apertures in saidpyunder, 'an"insulating support mounted in each aperture, an open *co'il electric heating element arranged within saidcylinder in polygonal form on said insulators,

efficiency as at least eight segments. "For l a guide vane grille positioned adjacent the front plicity in manufacture, it has beenifblmd tifi venient to form the vane structnre ogtwg m m bers 24 and 25 consisting of metafst'rips'arranged at right angles to each other in the marmezgilek ze h hw 9:

bodiment hassbeen illustrated ih isitqlbepunde steo ttiia ugh 1s v ture is co gpleted of spaced apertures in said cylinder, an insulate"!v to Q"ingsupport;mounteclieinv each::=aplerttue; an open a mama-lea of said cylinder, said guide vane including two metatstripse diametrically perpendicular to each other'and t'wo metalstrips each bent into a right angleza and positioned to bisect the angles formed 0 by said first two strips.

2.: portable; electric space heater comprising afshorthorizontalmetal'cylinder'.provided'with a supporting. stand; an; axially mountett ran: la q ififidra ithe b k? end of: said: cylinder; aaplurality c lelectric; heating, element? arranged; within:- *QY iDdB Y' H p ly onalefornmn said insulatorsg-l; ide vane grille positioned adjacent-theifl'ont sa d c nd r. said guide vane incliiding twoi' tale strip diametrically.* perpendicular? to each? wand two metal"stripszeachsbentinto a. .rig'ht angle andgpositioned to bisecttrthe angles'formectfi by said first rt/W0 strips.= said zstri-psv each havinga their; ends-secured to'-the,-zinner'surface of said? cylinderand havingzair axial-idimensioni of-ther? Order Of nehth tq one-sixthxoiz-thez diameter? ai aid.- y nder.a=

c: BJIQ'MOPBHJCQHZ electric heating element ar ra-nged withinwsaid:cylinderixima generally acirlt fi z two metal stripsrarrangedz =diametrlcall-W eachstrip hayin amaxial dimension of theorem-e on zonenedge; the" other; str-ipi having a? entra ly lofififldz-rnotOhy/on ttheirropposite ed'geei said strips-at their tcenterst WMfiWIWITTIE;

REE RENCEs crr-Em "unassumingrererences are- 01* reeora -ln tii file of this patent:

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